What is Crippling Us

In both Fahrenheit 451 and Against School, Bradbury and Taylor Gatto make comments about society. Even though they are both about our society they are brought about in different ways. Fahrenheit 451 is told as a story taking part in the future while Against School is written from the view of an ex-teacher who says; "I taught for thirty years in some of the worst schools in Manhattan, and in some of the best, and during that time I became an expert in boredom." Also along with the fact that there are written from different perspectives they also have different messages. In Against Schools, Taylor Gatto talks about how boredom is widespread in schools, saying: "Boredom is the common condition of schoolteachers, and anyone who has spent time in a teachers' lounge can vouch for the low energy, the whining, the dispirited attitudes, to be found there." He says that not only are the children bored with school but the teachers are as well. Well Taylor Gatto talks about our poor public education system, Bradbury talks about society more as a whole. Fahrenheit 451 takes place in a world where books have been banned and firemen burn books instead of putting out fires. It has been so long that people have forgotten the old ways. In one part of the book a girl asks the main character, Montag about the past. She says: "Is it true that long ago that firemen put out fires instead of going to start them." This takes Montag off guard and he replies with: "No. Houses have always been fireproof, take my word for it." This shows how clueless the people in the world have become. Fahrenheit 451 is Bradbury's way of saying that as we become more and more culturally advance we lose touch with what is important and the great ideas that shaped the past world. In the cases of both pieces I am convinced to think the way that they do. In Fahrenheit 451i agree very much with Bradbury's points. I agree that as we become more advanced we lose touch of the past and I think that we can't do that; we need to hold on to it. In the case of Taylor Gatto I also agree. I feel that if teachers gave more of an effort to make kids want to learn we could achieve a much better and relevant education.